Old age
Old age refers to ages nearing or surpassing the life expectancy of human beings, and is thus the end of the human life cycle. Terms and euphemisms include old people, the elderly (worldwide usage), seniors (American usage), senior citizens (British and American usages), older adults (in the social sciences1), and the elders (in many cultures—including the cultures of aboriginal people). Old people often have limited regenerative abilities and are more susceptible to disease, syndromes, injuries and sickness than younger adults. The organic process of ageing is called senescence,2 the medical study of the aging process is called gerontology,3 and the study of diseases that afflict the elderly is called geriatrics.4 The elderly also face other social issues around retirement, loneliness, and ageism.5 Old age is not a definite biological stage, as the chronological age denoted as "old age" varies culturally and historically.6 In 2011, the United Nations proposed a human rights convention that would specifically protect older persons.7 Definitions Official definitions Old age comprises "the later part of life; the period of life after youth and middle age . . ., usually with reference to deterioration".8 At what age old age begins cannot be universally defined because it differs according to the context. The United Nations has agreed that 65+ years may be usually denoted as old age9 and this is the first attempt at an international definition of old age. However, for its study of old age in Africa, the World Health Organization (WHO) set 55 as the beginning of old age. At the same time, the WHO recognized that the developing world often defines old age, not by years, but by new roles, loss of previous roles, or inability to make active contributions to society.10 Most developed Western countries set the age of 60 to 65 for retirement. Being 60–65 years old is usually a requirement for becoming eligible for senior social programs.11 However, various countries and societies consider the onset of old age as anywhere from the mid-40s to the 70s.12 The definitions of old age continue to change especially as life expectancy in developed countries has risen to beyond 80 years old.13 In October 2016, a paper published in the science journal Nature presented the conclusion that the maximum human lifespan is an average age of 115, with an absolute upper limit of 125 years.14 However, the authors' methods and conclusions drew criticism from the scientific community, who concluded that the study was flawed.15 Sub-group definitions Gerontologists have recognized the very different conditions that people experience as they grow older within the years defined as old age. In developed countries, most people in their 60s and early 70s are still fit, active, and able to care for themselves.16 However, after 75, they will become increasingly frail, a condition marked by serious mental and physical debilitation.17 Therefore, rather than lumping together all people who have been defined as old, some gerontologists have recognized the diversity of old age by defining sub-groups. One study distinguishes the young old (60 to 69), the middle old (70 to 79), and the very old (80+).18 Another study's sub-grouping is young-old (65 to 74), middle-old (75–84), and oldest-old (85+).19 A third sub-grouping is "young old" (65–74), "old" (74–84), and "old-old" (85+).20 Describing sub-groups in the 65+ population enables a more accurate portrayal of significant life changes.21 Two British scholars, Paul Higgs and Chris Gilleard, have added a "fourth age" sub-group. In British English, the "third age" is "the period in life of active retirement, following middle age".22 Higgs and Gilleard describe the fourth age as "an arena of inactive, unhealthy, unproductive, and ultimately unsuccessful ageing".23 Dimensions Key Concepts in Social Gerontology lists four dimensions: chronological, biological, psychological, and social.24 Wattis and Curran add a fifth dimension: developmental.25 Chronological age may differ considerably from a person's functional age. The distinguishing marks of old age normally occur in all five senses at different times and different rates for different persons.26 In addition to chronological age, people can be considered old because of the other dimensions of old age. For example, people may be considered old when they become grandparents or when they begin to do less or different work in retirement.9 Senior citizen Senior citizen is a common euphemism for an old person used in American English, and sometimes in British English. It implies that the person being referred to is retired.27282930 This in turn usually implies that the person is over the retirement age, which varies according to country. Synonyms include old age pensioner or pensioner in British English, and retiree and senior in American English. Some dictionaries describe widespread use of "senior citizen" for people over the age of 65.31 When defined in an official context, senior citizen is often used for legal or policy-related reasons in determining who is eligible for certain benefits available to the age group. It is used in general usage instead of traditional terms such as old person, old-age pensioner, or elderly as a courtesy and to signify continuing relevance of and respect for this population group as "citizens" of society, of senior rank.32 The term was apparently coined in 1938 during a political campaign.33 Famed caricaturist Al Hirschfeld claimed on several occasion that his father Isaac Hirschfeld invented the term 'senior citizen'.343536 It has come into widespread use in recent decades in legislation, commerce, and common speech. Especially in less formal contexts, it is often abbreviated as "senior(s)", which is also used as an adjective. In commerce, some businesses offer customers of a certain age a "senior discount". The age at which these discounts are available varies between 55, 60, 62 or 65, and other criteria may also apply. Sometimes a special "senior discount card" or other proof of age needs to be obtained and produced to show entitlement. Age qualifications The age which qualifies for senior citizen status varies widely. In governmental contexts, it is usually associated with an age at which pensions or medical benefits for the elderly become available. In commercial contexts, where it may serve as a marketing device to attract customers, the age is often significantly lower.37 In the United States, the standard retirement age is currently 66 (gradually increasing to 67).38 In Canada, the OAS (Old Age Security) pension is available at 65 (the Conservative government of Stephen Harper had planned to gradually increase the age of eligibility to 67, starting in the years 2023–2029, although the Liberal government of Justin Trudeau is considering leaving it at 65),39 and the CPP (Canada Pension Plan) as early as age 60. The AARP allows couples in which one spouse has reached the age of 50 to join, regardless of the age of the other spouse. Old age by continent Many of the countries listed in the table below are in the process of reforming the ages (see the notes in the table for details). The ages in the table show when an individual retires if they retire/have retired in the year given in the table; the trend in some countries is that in the future the age will increase gradually (United States and Canada are the only countries which old age starting early for men: 70 years old), therefore one's year of birth determines when one has the old age (e.g. in Romania women born in January 1948 had starts old age in January 1999 at age 51; those born in January 1951 had started old age in January 2003 at age 52; those born in January 1954 started old age in January 2007 at age 53; those born in January 1957 started old age in January 2011 at age 54). The average of statutory retirement age in the 34 countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 2014 was males 70 years and females 51.5 years, but the tendency all over the world is to increase the retirement age.72 This is also reflected by the findings that just over half the Asian investors surveyed region-wide said they agreed with raising the retirement age, with a quarter disagreeing and the remainder undecided.73 Aging before 50s Olimpia Dumitru, a woman that started old age at 45 years old. She wasn't healthy and good, she is now 46 and looks like a grandma. Average women starting old age at their 50s, Olimpia Dumitru is the only one in the world that entering in menopause at her 40s. Aging after 50 Men Women